Lincoln Town Car Maintenance & Repair

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My Lincoln will not start at times,I have started this car, not moved it and would not start the following day. This car is kept in a garage. It has been towed to dealer(s) and could not find any problems,no failure codes and fuses check out okay. When car does run,engine runs perfectly,no miss or hesitations etc. Fuel filter has been replaced,new plugs & air filter. The check engine light has not come when this condition exist Mileage on this vehicle is "75640" Help Please

Damp/wet wires would be my guess. Take note of when it happens. There is a possibility that it is damp under the hood from sitting in the shade or garage when you wouldn't expect it. If you have longer periods of rain/clouds/fog/drizzle like we have now in the DC area, you can (and I did four months ago) have a mysterious failure-to-start problem. New wire - no more problem. Garage kept is usually a good thing, but my dad's Chicago area garage is always very damp inside.

Also, the dealer may never find this problem if its not happening while he has it.

I have purchased a 2004 town car and the code for the key pad wasn't in the car - I have been told that the number exists some where on the car - I would like to know where to look to find the location of the number.

Look on the trunk hinges, trunk rain trough, door jams, and engine bay sides. good hunting. When you determine the factory setting, the manual advises how to set a second code such as birth dates or parts of any number you like.

If you can't find it in any of those places, because on an O4, I'm not sure you will, your dealer can look it up by the VIN number. Some of them will charge you for the service, some of them won't. Hope yours is nice.

I have found out that the key code is on the computer module in a 2004 Towncar and the computer is inside of the drivers side door, can you imagine, any way it is better to take the car to a dealer and let him use the diagnostic computer to get the number for you - Thanks for answering my question about my key pad code - Charles Nelson

I have finally found where the key pad code is located on a 2004 Towncar - it's on the computer module which is located inside the drivers side door, can you imagine that - I took the car up to the dealer I bought it from and he ran his diagnostic computer on the car and he got the code for me - I figured it would be easier to do that then take all the stuff off of the door to get to the module. Thanks for answering my quiry about the key pad. Charles Nelson

Send me an email. I have received a large email with directions on replacing the cowl vent seal which is defective in those year TC's, and will cause this very problem (According to Lincoln Rep). [email protected]I have not tried it yet, but it sounds like it will work. Sunroof may still be your particular problem, but I don't have one, and still have the same leak. Food for thought.

Is this only for the drivers door? Do the other doors work? If so, you may have have a bad wiring harnes from the relay to the switch which could have caused the switch to burn out. Do you get current prior and after the relay you installed?

This happened on my TC two days after purchase. Replacing the driver switch panel and harness fixed it. If the other doors do not work, then try tracing the current as best you can from the fuse box back to the doors. If memory serves me right, the rear driverside door connects to the front door control. Passenger may be the same. You try running a continuity test

Parking brake relay or switch may need to be replaced. Both are near the parking brake near the bottom side of the dash. I have also heard that you can take some compressed air, and blow out the sensor located near the pedal post. It may have trash or dust causing the sensor to turn on.

Try using a test light and check for power before and after the relay. I have a feeling you may find that you dont have power before the relay. If so, that trace the wires back to the fuse panel. Some wires have an inline breakpoing (Fuse/like) that will short if the relay goes out. There has to be a central control unit or relay that is after the fuse panel, which separates the power and distributes it to each side of the car. Again, I think the rear doors are connected in line with the front, so there should be two lines (one for driver and one for passenger). Let me know what you find. Testing for continuity, you will need to disconnect the battery. Email me if you need to , [email protected]

I'm getting a TC next week, very good condition and 87000 miles on it. All the reviews seem to be good on the quality of this vehicle. I just want to know if there is anything you guys suggest i do as soon as i get it, to make sure it runs for a little while. I've heard it has a manifold problem or gaskets or something like that...i obviously don't know much about cars. Right now, i plan on changing the oil every 3000 miles and that's about it, so any expertise on this car would be greatly appreciated. any suggestions on how to get better gas mileage would be great, and any simple preventative maintenance as well. thanks in advance.

I was trying not to take up all of this space by posting this like this, but here you go guys. Hope this helps.

Remove the cowl vent screen by removing 2 long plastic screws up toward the windshield and the large rubber weather seal that runs across the front of it (engine side). Then remove screws holding down the cowl vent tray and remove it. The long screws are not easy to remove but will come out. After you remove the cowl vent screen and the cowl vent tray below it. Remove the foam rubber seal from the bottom of the cowl vent tray and replace it with silicone RTV sealant available at most auto aftermarket stores for $2. You should buy 2. The gap on my car was so large I had to use the largest bead possible. Place a bead on the tray and another on the surface under it. Besides the large gap, the reason for the large bead is that it is not easy to place the beads everywhere on both surfaces so that they will join together. Let the sealant cure before testing. Test with the A/C while on Auto if you have it. DISCONNECT THE BATTERY FOR AT LEAST ONE MINUTE. THIS IS A SAFETY MEASURE TO INSURE THAT THE SIDE AIR BAG (IN THE SEATBACK) IS NOT DEPLOYED. Remove the front seat. Peel the carpet back as far as you can and place supports under it. Use a high volume fan to complete drying process. I had to run mine for 15 hours. If you don't think that much of the carpet and mat under in the front and the back are wet, you are probably wrong. I was. There is a thick foam rubber mat under the carpet that acts like a sponge.

RECONNECT THE BATTERY ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE COMPLETELY RE INSTALLED THE FRONT SEAT.

This is a simple fix but very time consuming due to the drying out process. One dealer quoted me over $200 not including removing water from the carpet.

Those are excellent cars, hemsley1, congratulations. Arguably, the best, and high-water mark of Town Cars, ever made. Change the Differential oil as soon as you can. I would service the Transmission as well, and the car will likely go to 150,000 miles without any major repairs needed at all. The differentials usually turn to mush at about 90,000 if you don't service them, so you're due on this one, assuming no one has yet serviced it. You can catch this one in time.

i appreciate the advice. i just pulled a carfax on this car, and it was originally purchased as a fleet vehicle by a company...should that worry me?I'm assuming a traveling salesman or something like that. I have not driven the car yet, but i obviously will when i go to pick it up, if there is anything i don't like then i won't buy it. The interior is in perfect condition and it looks perfectly maintained, but it makes me nervous someone driving it when they dont own it. what do you guys think?

My good father was a traveling salesman-but I'll just choose not to be offended by your comment. Töwn Cars were not leased for the salesmen, they went to the executives, the Bank Presidents, the title reps, etc. Anything but a reason to avoid the car.

ok guys, one last question. I'm buying the car from a guy named jeff, it was his brothers car who died in december. Jeff said the the car has been sitting in his garage for four months and that he just started getting it out recently. Told me it runs great but that the AC does not blow cold. says the blower works but not cold air. Honestly, it's not a big deal if it just needs some freon, but if it needs a compressor then i think that would be pretty expensive.

I guess im asking if you guys think it just needs some freon since it's been sitting for so long, or if it may be a bigger problem. anyone have any opinions? or have any experience with the AC in a 1997. Thanks in advance

Can't answer your question, however an independent a/C repairer can hook up his freon, test for leaks, and check the compressor in one visit. Ford products are known for needing "O" rings due to lack of use. There is a lubricant in the coolant which lubs the internal parts of the system and that is why most people run their A/C systems when they drive. If the Signature is above average in other aspects, it would be worth the cost of having a pro diagnose the situation. I've replaced a compressor on an 82 Signature, but have yet to on either our 94 Signature or 95 TB.The Air is on all the time, but at various temperatures. I've been told that when the compressor is replaced, so is the dryer and if the cost was in the neighborhood of 1500 bucks, it would not surprise me. So, I wish you Good Luck.

just to let you guys know. i picked the car up today. i drove it 200 miles to get home and it is awesome. the alignment is a little off, and the air from the AC feels like it is just barely cooled off, i hope thats a good sign that it just needs a freon charge and not a compressor. Besides that this car is cherry. I appreicate the advice and as long as the AC is relatively cheap to fix, i am very happy.